The Ephs were led by junior forward Andrew Newton, who had a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds), and senior tri-captain Jaris Cole, who poured in 18 points and came up with three steals.
The win was the 62nd straight victory for the Ephs in Chandler Gymnasium, tying the record set by North Park (IL) from 1984-1988. The Ephs have not lost at home since January 13, 2001 and have a .922 winning percentage (224-19) in Chandler since its opening in 1987.
“Just to get to this point is indicative of the consistency of our guys’ approaches on a day-in and day-out basis,” said Williams Head Coach Dave Paulsen. “Hopefully it will continue tomorrow and after that and on into second semester. It says a lot about this team to be mentally and physically there every night no matter who you are playing and to have enough depth where one guy can have a bad night and have other guys step up. It also just demonstrates the tradition and the leadership we’ve had on this team through the years.”
Six quick points by Newton helped give the Ephs the early 8-2 lead. After a timeout, MCLA regrouped, going on a 8-0 run to go up 10-8. First-year pointguard Chris Shalvoy and sophomore guards Phil Wall and Brian Nelson came off the bench to spark the Eph running game but a three point play by Trailblazer Robert Mitchell tied the game at 32 with 2:11 remaining in the half.
Senior tri-captain Michael Graham stepped up to help power the Ephs to a 44-34 half time lead, scoring two big hoops and assisting on a pretty Newton three point play.
The Ephs continued their dominance in the second half, quickly jumping out to a 55-35 lead with just over 16 minutes remaining. MCLA continued to battle against a feisty Eph defense. Mitchell hit a big three pointer and got fouled in the process, putting together a four point play to cut the Eph lead to nine with 6:35 to play, but the Trailblazers would get no closer.
“This was not a 25 point victory even if the scoreboard says it was,” said Paulsen. “MCLA played us hard, and we have a lot to work on. We have to improve our defense and our rebounding, but it’s nice to get the win and at least think about having that as a starting point for improvement.”
The Ephs will try for their record-breaking 63rd straight home victory against the University of Maine – Fort Kent, a 73-58 winner over Mitchell College in the other first round match-up, in the championship game Saturday at 3:00.